XD sub compact 9mm vs M&P Shield 9mm

I have carried the XD as my CCW gun for almost ten years. I first tried the sub compact Glocks in 9mm and .40 and .45 caliber, but the grip not only felt uncomfortable, I limp wrested with all of them no matter how firmly I gripped the guns. This caused all of them to fail to lock back on the last shot. Not acceptable.

I have been very satisfied with the XD overall, but sometimes I really know I am carrying it due to it's double stack wide grip. Depending on what I am wearing, it can be a bit difficult to conceal and often times it digs into into my hip (I wear it at 3 o'clock being a southpaw). Other times, I do not even know it is there. Go figure?

I was excited when I first heard about the XDs and wanted to buy one in .45ACP. Unfortunately, the only version sold in California is the law enforcement one. I can purchase one in the Marketplace through a PPT, but I refuse to pay the outrageous prices being charged. I thought about a SSE, but that did not seem to be much better, so when I learned about the Shield, I decided to go with that in 9mm. Since I have access to low price self defense hollow point ammo in 9mm, but not .40 caliber, I decided on the former.

I knew I would be giving up four rounds between the XD and the single stack Shield (I carry an extra magazine), but I felt comfortable with that. The size of the Shield allows me to carry it in a pocket of my cargo shorts instead of my waist band. I cannot do that with the XD.

I had the opportunity to shoot it last year at the Raahauge's Sports Fair and liked how it felt and handled. No, it is as not as comfortable to hold as the XD, because not only does it have a shorter and thinner grip, I have big hands.

That said, I have been carrying the Shield 99% of the time since I purchased it in August and feel very confident when shooting it. Better accuracy will come with more practice and some different sights.

Speaking of sights, the only thing I need to do is purchase the same Tru Glo TFO sights that I have on my XD. At age 64, I cannot think of a better sight to put on my gun. Bright Fiber Optic during the day and Tritium for night use. Win win!